The President's Corner - May 2015 Edition
By Jorge Garcia, MMASC President
More than at any other time in recent history, public employees are tasked with providing top tier service, becoming subject matter experts, overseeing complex projects, and all the while balancing life and work. What many of our colleagues are experiencing is as set of questions we know too well: When and where do I start? How do I provide the same, if not better, service and make sure I don’t let things fall by the wayside? These questions are not unique and you are not alone.
As I have navigated through my own professional journey, I have faced these issues and turned to my toolbox to seek answers and sometimes found myself with more questions. Working in the City Manager’s Office, I have my normal tasks and projects that I oversee, and at any moment it all gets pushed aside when I am asked to put out a fire or help a team member cross the finish line. This means stopping everything, diverting my energy, and somehow remembering where I left off with my projects. This is where I have utilized various skills, tips, and tricks and advice from mentors and training events to create my professional management toolbox. Just like any toolbox, I have my hammers, wrenches, and pliers. They all have a specific purpose and sometimes you have to be resourceful and use a tool that may not quite be right, but it gets the job done. So how do you get new tools to make the job easier or more efficient? You have to go out and acquire them! The best way to do so is through training, professional development, and networking at events such as those provided to you as a member of MMASC.
The 2015 Summer Session, hosted at Cal State Fullerton on July 30, will no doubt be a place to acquire a few more tools. One of the focuses of the Summer Session will be Project Management and will provide our membership with many actionable ideas and tips for use when they get back to their workplace. I am looking forward to this event and hope that you will attend and join the Executive Board at the networking reception immediately following the event.
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